Fugitive Wife (4 page)

needed to do was stretch out her hand for what she wanted.

She could even smile at the innocent arrogance which had taken her straight to the editor of one of Fleet Street’s leading dailies to ask for a job.

Looking back, she had to admit that Hal Mackenzie had let her down lightly. He had listened quite seriously to her stumbling exposition of why she thought a career in journalism would suit her, and had even made a few notes on the pad in front of him as she talked. He had asked courteously what her shorthand speed was, and had made no comment when she confessed she had never done any. He had lifted a

number of closely printed sheets from his in-tray and handed them to her, asking her to go into his secretary’s office next door and produce a news-story from the handout, no more than six paragraphs long.

Briony’s heart sank as she sat before the gleaming electric typewriter and read the mass of words and statistics the handout contained. She was miserably conscious as she handed her finished story to Hal Mackenzie that it would fal far short of the standard required, and saw his brows rise slightly as he read it through.

He put it down on his desk, removed the heavy horn-rimmed glasses he wore and Wiped them carefuly on a spotless white handkerchief

while an unnerving silence lengthened.

He said at last, ‘Miss Trevor, I’ve a friend in the Midlands who runs a smal group of weekly papers. It’s a good training ground, and if I recommended you to him he would give you a chance.’

Briony said, ‘But I thought .. .’ and paused.

Hal Mackenzie said drily, ‘You hoped your relationship with the Chairman would open doors for you at U.P.G. Wel, I’m afraid not, even if you’d been incredibly .’ talented, which you’re not. But you could probably learn to be reasonably competent in time, with a sound provincial training behind you. Wel, shal I write to my friend on your behalf?’ He waited, watching as the embarrassed flush deepened in her cheeks, then sighed. ‘Miss Trevor, I’m old enough to be your father, so may I give you some sound advice? Don’t read too much into a few moonlight kisses.’

Briony said lamely, ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘No?’ His,brows rose. ‘I saw Logan folow you, you know. Fortunately your father didn’t. He’d already made his views on what had

happened earlier quite clear.’

‘Mr Mackenzie.’ Briony made a belated grab for the remnants of her poise, ‘it realy isn’t what you think .. .’

‘Isn’t it?’ His tone was sceptical. ‘You’re a very lovely girl, Miss Trevor. Believe me, I’m not trying to censure either Logan or yourself.

Good God, ‘if I was twenty years younger, I’d probably have tried to beat him to it, no matter who or what your father was. Does he

know you’ve come here to ask for a job, incidentaly?’

Briony bit her lip. ‘We’ve―discussed it, naturaly .. .’

‘In other words, no.’ Mackenzie sighed again. ‘It won’t do, Miss Trevor. I can’t imagine Sir Charles tamely accepting a life in journalism for you. I shal speak frankly to you. He’s a good chairman, but his heart is not in newspapers, the way your grandfather’s was. I often think your father would have been just as happy happier even―making cars, or sewing machines. Something that couldn’t talk back.

Sometimes he acts as if journalism was a dirty word.’ He gave her a wry look.

‘And even if he didn’t, I wouldn’t consider passing over some of the good people who apply to me for work in order to give a start to an untrained girl with no particular flair. As it is, I’m afraid your father’s known views would have to weigh with me―plus my own misgivings about your possible motivation.’

‘I hardly think that’s any of your business.’ She felt hot with humiliation.

That’s where you’re wrong.’ He gave her a shrewd look. ‘I like my newspaper to operate efficiently, with my staff giving me their best efforts. That’s why I don’t encourage―personal situations, shal we say? They tend to get in the way in office hours. Sometimes, of course, relationships become established, and I have to accept them. Al my staff are adults, after al.’ Briony said cooly, ‘If you’re trying to bestow a paternal warning that Logan Adair has a-relationship with MissWelesley, then please don’t bother. I already know.

I’m sorry to have taken up so much of your time. And there’s no need to write to your friend. I’m sure they need someone with flair―even in the provinces.’ He rose, as she did. ‘You make me sound an insensitive brute, MissTrevor, and I’m sorry. But it wouldn’t work, believe me-oh, for al sorts of reasons. It may seem. a glamorous life from the outside, but it’s hard work and pain with very little room for idealism, whatever pious platitudes we editors may utter from time to time. I think you’re stil young enough to have ideals, so why not find yourself a star to hitch your wagon to? And please forgive me for having spoken so frankly on matters which were—not my concern.’

There were tears stinging Briony’s eyes as she hurried across the outer office and out into the corridor, ignoring the embarrassed secretary.

She paused for a moment to snatch a pair of dark glasses from her handbag and cram them on to her nose to hide the most visible signs of her discomfiture. There were people waiting at the lift, so she took the stairs down to the ground floor. There was a women’s cloakroom there, and she slipped inside for a few moments, to effect a few repairs to her make-up.

When she was sure she was in complete control once more, she walked out into the reception area and towards the massive glass doors

which guarded the main entrance to the building.

And Logan Adair crossed the reception area just in front of her and went out into the street, pausing to hold open the doors for a group of women who were entering.

Briony stood stock stil for a minute, hardly able to believe her eyes. To see him so suddenly, and unexpectedly, seemed like a sign, a good omen. If she’d taken the lift, if she hadn’t waited to fix her make-up, then she would have missed him. She hurried to the door and out I on to the pavement. He was just ahead of her waiting to cross the road, flicking the folded newspaper he carried against his leg in slight impatience as he watched the stream of traffic. There was no reason in the world why she shouldn’t approach him, say something light and laughing about coincidences, and it being a smal world, but she couldn’t do it, so she held back slightly, and then folowed him as he crossed the road. She’d no idea, of course, where he was going. He might even be working on a story, but she didn’t think so. After al, he was in the foreign news department, not the City desk. Far more likely, she thought, glancing at her watch, that he was taking an early lunch. He did not seem to be in any particular hurry, stroling along in the pale sunshine, and Briony had little difficulty in keeping him in sight. Meanwhile a couple of disquieting thoughts occurred to her.

What would she do if he turned and saw her skulking after him, and-which was infinitely worse—what if he was going to keep some

lunchtime appointment with Karen Welesley?

Her heart sank, but her spirits revived miraculously a moment later when Logan turned quite casualy into the entrance of a large street-corner pub. After only a moment’s hesitation she folowed him. After the brightness of the street, the interior seemed dim. Although it was stil relatively early, many of the tables and velvet-covered benches along the wals were already occupied, and an appetisingly savoury smel hung in the air. Briony took a deep breath, then walked up to the bar.

Logan was just turning away, drink in hand, as she reached it. He saw her at once, and recognised her immediately in spite of the dark glasses, and his brows rose with amazed incredulity.

‘Slumming, Miss Trevor?’

‘It hardly looks like a slum to me, Mr. Adair.’ Her voice sounded cool and composed, and she even managed a smile to match.

‘But hardly your usual stamping ground, I would have thought.’ He smiled too, but the cool eyes held a puzzled, almost reflective

expression as he studied her. ‘Wil you let me buy you a drink?’

‘Thank you.’ She hastily suppressed a feeling of glee.

‘You―you’re not expecting anyone?’

‘No one.’ he said, a touch drily. ‘The house wine is good here, and so is the food-unless you’re going on somewhere for lunch.’ His eyes wandered over the simple chic of the cream wool suit, and the dark green blouse she wore beneath it, al designed to convince Hal

Mackenzie of her mature efficiency.

‘I’d heard the food was marvelous.’ she fibbed hastily.

‘That’s why I thought I’d try it.’

‘How word does get around!’ He did not bother to disguise his scepticism. ‘But it isn’t patronised much at Board room level. They have their own dining room, I believe.’ He handed her a menu. ‘I can recommend the shepherd’s pie.’

‘That wil be fine.’ She would have sampled boiled welington boots on his recommendation, she thought dazedly. Logan gave the order to the barmaid, then ushered her to a couple of vacant seats on one of the benches under a long window. The sun poured through the glass, and she was glad to unbutton her jacket and slip it from her shoulders, arching her body slightly. As she did so, Logan’s eyes flickered momentarily over the rounded outline of her breasts, revealed through the fragile silky texture of her blouse.

‘Alow me.’ He helped her with the jacket, and for a second his hand rested on her shoulder and she felt its warmth on her flesh as if she had been naked. She stole a glance at him under her lashes, and saw that his face , looked rather grim as he put her glass of white wine in front of her. She had to stifle the feeling of excited triumph that was beginning to build up inside her. The sophisticated Mr Adair was as aware of her, as she was of him, she told herself in delirious unbelief. Almost imperceptibly she edged nearer to him on the bench.

‘Do you smoke?’ He produced a packet of Gauloises and a lighter from the pocket of his brown cord jacket and held them out to her. She shook her head silently.

‘Good girl.’ He sounded lazily amused. ‘Al the virtues and none of the vices, which is just as it should be at eighteen. Do you object if I smoke?’

‘Not at al.’ Suddenly tongue-tied, she picked up her wine-glass and sipped, enjoying the cool fragrance of the wine in her dry mouth. She searched around nervously for something to say. ‘Did―did you enjoy the awards party.’

‘Parts of it―very much.’ The amusement was open now, and she felt herself blush. ‘But the awards themselves are pretty meaningless.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘I don’t need an ornament for my mantelpiece.’ he said.‘I’m rarely at the flat long enough at a stretch to appreciate the fact that I have a mantelpiece anyway. And while the money is welcome, it’s not exactly essential. U.P.G. are quite generous in the matter of salaries, whatever your father’s personal feelings about his staff. I suspect that many awards presentations do more for the self-esteem of the donors than the recipients.’

‘But doesn’t it mean anything to you to be Journalist of the Year?’ she persisted.

He shrugged slightly. ‘Most of these titles are meaningless,’ he said. ‘It pleases me far more to know that Mac appreciates me and likes my work. He’s a good bloke to work for.’

‘Unfortunately I’l never be in a position to judge the truth of that statement.’ Briony stared down at the polished surface of their table.

‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning I asked Mr Mackenzie for a job, and he turned me down flat-not half an hour ago, as a matter of fact.’

‘You wanted to work on the Courier?’ Logan set down his glass so sharply that some of the liquid splashed out of it.

‘Is it so surprising?’ she enquired defensively.

‘Amazing would be a better word.’ He gave her a long speculative look. ‘Now what could have put such an unlikely idea into your

decorative head, Miss Trevor?’

‘Kindly don’t patronise me,’ she said unevenly. ‘And don’t reduce me to the level of another mantelpiece ornament either.’ _

‘Is that what I was doing?’ He smiled drily. ‘I can assure you it’s a very different item of furniture which suggests itself when I look at you.’

‘Oh !’ A faint flush rose in her cheeks as she absorbed the implication of what he had said, and she hated herself for blushing like a fool at his teasing. She said hastily, ‘Nevertheless I did apply for a job on the Courier, but Mr. Mackenzie unfortunately seemed to share your incredulity.’ Logan said cooly, ‘He also possesses a wel-developed sense of self-preservation-an excelent asset for anyone hoping to make progress on one of your father’s newspapers. Apart from your youth, and your total inexperience, I imagine that went a long way towards your rejection by him.’

‘I realy don’t see what my father has to do with it,’ Briony said, nettled.

‘Oh, come on, love.’ His eyebrows rose. ‘You’re surely not trying to make me believe you’re that naive? Your father tends to shed his newspaper personnel like autumn leaves, and you know it, or you should do. Besides, if Mac had given you a job, he’d probably have had trouble with the union to face, as wel as your father. The Courier isn’t a training school for beginners.’

She said in a stifled tone, ‘Wel, he didn’t give me a job, so there’s very little point in discussing it.’

‘Yet it stil rankles.’ He shot her a look. ‘Was it this job that was so important to you, or any job?’

‘I wanted to work―to be of some use.’ She shrugged. ‘I thought journalism would suit me, that’s al.’

He gave her an amused glance. ‘And to start at the top would suit you even better? Nice try, sweetheart. But if you realy wanted a job, why didn’t you apply to Vic Hargreaves in Personnel? There are usualy vacancies of sorts somewhere in the group.’

‘I didn’t think of it,’ she admitted. ‘You see, I’d met Mr. Mackenzie, and he seemed kind, so I thought I’d take a chance . . .’ Her voice tailed off a little as she saw he was laughing quite openly now. ‘What have I said?’

‘Your reference to Mac’s apparent kindness. I doubt if it’s the image he has of himself. Anyway, here comes the food. I hope you’re

hungry.’

At that particular moment, Briony felt as if she could not have forced a morsel past the tightness in her throat, but it was odd when the steaming plate was placed in front of her, how her appetite suddenly returned. The shepherd’s pie was deliciously savoury, flanked by lavish spoonfuls of carrots and peas, and she finished every forkful with real appreciation.